Les choses simples

A fantastic pairing of actors (Grégory Gadbois and Lambert Wilson) in a charming film by Éric Besnard. Two delightful characters in an unlikely story, set against breathtaking mountain scenery. The only downside to this movie is that it's only an hour and a half long.

This is a film with an ecological flavor that emphasizes the choice of simplicity and a return to nature. The two main characters, despite their qualifications and intelligence, choose to change their lives, even though their personalities are polar opposites. The mountain landscapes are absolutely stunning. I particularly enjoyed the scene where we see both of them sitting on a tree stump with their dog. This French movie was shown to us as part of a repertoire selection.

This is a solid film featuring two main characters, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses.

Both lead actors deliver fantastic performances, even though they do grate on the viewer's patience after a while - one with his brooding silence, the other with his ceaseless chatter and overly perfect demeanor. Although the young boy and his mother play very minor roles, they nevertheless contribute seamlessly to the storyline's conclusion.

The surprises keep coming.

The two leads deliver great performances, but I wasn't a fan of the screenplay... The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and the shooting locations were stunning. However, I really didn't like how over-the-top and extreme Lambert's character was portrayed.

The acting is decent but not outstanding. The plot could use more subtlety and depth. However, it's still an okay "feel good movie" overall.

A wonderfully simple film with stunning scenery, great music, and genuine emotion.

The movie is a visual treat! The story starts off slowly, but it picks up steam with some unexpected twists along the way.

Eric Besnard continues to create films in a somewhat old-fashioned style, reminiscent of Jean Becker, with "Simple Things." This type of cinema is almost dying out and is mainly represented by the elderly filmmaker. It perpetuates clichés about rural France, with a Proustian madeleine feel for older viewers and a strong emphasis on traditional French cuisine. Films like "The Children of the Marshland," "Strange Gardens," and "A Crime in Paradise" were big hits that celebrated a bygone era of France, sometimes in a questionable, beret-and-baguette way. After last year's "Delicious," which looked back at the birth of the first French restaurant with its timeless kitchen aromas and also starred Grégory Gadebois, Besnard returns to the present with "Simple Things." The title is taken from the famous Herta ads, which promoted a return to basics through food and lifestyle, featuring deliberately old-fashioned images that bordered on cliché and depicted a France that no longer exists, almost reactionary.

In this case, rather than the genre film the promotion suggested, it's primarily a feel-good movie about the meeting of two opposites, as Besnard invites us to experience, which is a good thing. "Simple Things" remains a beautiful ode to nature, with stunning mountain scenes that are more impressive for what they depict than for Besnard's somewhat lazy direction. The film promotes calmness and taking one's time to live. In that sense, it's almost a soothing work, a film that genuinely boosts morale. Leaving the theater feels like leaving a wellness seminar. The casting of two excellent, contrasting actors, Gadebois and Lambert Wilson, whose characters and performances sometimes border on caricature but never quite cross the line, is a total delight - for the audience, for the joy of comedy, and for the pleasure of acting together. Their chemistry and professionalism contribute greatly to the film's success; the synergy between them is undeniable and palpable.

The happy ending may be a bit obvious, but if "Simple Things" ended any other way, it wouldn't fit with the overall tone. The dialogues are top-notch, whether in their comedic aspects (they may not make you laugh out loud, but they keep you smiling throughout) or in their moral aspects; the values and small truths portrayed here are beautiful and sincere. Even though the film goes beyond its initial theme of returning to basics, simple things, and nature (a subject it only touches on in the first part, which we would have liked to see explored throughout the film), the direction it takes is equally satisfying, and the mountain setting is stunning. A cozy, comforting film that gives the viewer a dose of dopamine with two excellent actors is not bad at all.

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A pleasant but somewhat rigid and outdated movie: unity of time, place and action (theme)! Fantastic acting duel between Wilson and Gadebois. The age-old theme of opting out is modernized with ecological and philosophical questions about life's purpose. The stunning mountain scenery is also worth mentioning, as it's truly dreamy...

To maintain suspense (and comedy), the filmmaking leads us down various false trails, which can be a bit confusing.

In short, it's a lighthearted, unassuming comedy that does a pretty good job of entertaining us. There's also a subtle hint of self-deprecation when Wilson's character (an industrialist secretly dreaming of becoming an actor) says he's starting with a small, easy role that suits his looks, playing De Gaulle (a role he recently portrayed in another film)!

A lovely humanist movie with thoughtful reflections on life. The actors give fantastic performances. It's a serious film with a touch of craziness...

The landscapes are gorgeous and the acting is solid, sure. But it's hard to suspend disbelief for this far-fetched tale that verges on the absurd at times.

If the critic Olivia Levy from LaPresse saw the same movie I did, I'm not sure what she expected, but I enjoyed it... she gave it a 4/10.
Based on her review, I thought I would give it a 6.5/7, but in the end, I'd say it's an 8/10. Sure, the story is a bit simple (you have to look past the over-the-top French celebrity aspect) and it shouldn't be taken too literally... It's really just a vehicle for the two talented lead actors, who succeed in making us smile and even laugh in a clever way (along with the dog). It made for a very enjoyable time. Thankfully, the theater was quite full, and the audience reacted positively to the film...

Usually, when I see a comedy at the movies, I just smile, but this time, I genuinely laughed out loud along with everyone else in the theater. It provided some much-needed lighthearted entertainment on an otherwise dreary day.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie about two completely contrasting lifestyles - one of city living, isolated deep in the woods, and the other of a hugely wealthy businessman leading an active life. It turns out their encounter is not as innocent as it first appears. The story is beautiful and the acting is superb. My only gripe is with the ending, which is quite predictable. Nonetheless, I look back on this film fondly.